1
as in misleading
tending or having power to deceive
in his deceptive answer about the vehicle's history, the salesman said that the used car had never been hit by another car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in fraudulent
given to or marked by cheating and deception
a mail-order firm indicted for deceptive business practices
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of deceptive
Twitter was found to be using phone numbers that people submitted for two-factor authentication for ad targeting, which the FTC flagged as a deceptive practice.
—
Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 3 June 2026
This isn’t an easy history to tell since obfuscation, confusion, and deceptive hype are its central themes.
—Jonathan Odden, Artforum, 2 June 2026
The junior used a deceptive windup and changed speeds to scatter nine hits in eight innings.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 2 June 2026
Florida argues the company’s conduct amounts to deceptive and unfair trade practices, negligence, product liability violations and the creation of a public nuisance.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 3 June 2026
This isn’t an easy history to tell since obfuscation, confusion, and deceptive hype are its central themes.
—Jonathan Odden, Artforum, 2 June 2026
The junior used a deceptive windup and changed speeds to scatter nine hits in eight innings.
—Dan Albano, Oc Register, 2 June 2026
Florida argues the company’s conduct amounts to deceptive and unfair trade practices, negligence, product liability violations and the creation of a public nuisance.
—Garrett Shanley, Miami Herald, 1 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for deceptive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deceptive
Adjective
-
Manny Salazar, the Police Department’s public information officer and former drone team member, said the 46-drone figure is misleading.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 June 2026
-
He was also booked on suspicion of making false or misleading statements to a public servant, per the records.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
If a fraudulent provider is uncooperative, unreachable, or no longer operating, the beneficiary may remain reflected in Medicare systems as if an active hospice election still exists.—
Wes Kilgore,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Some financial institutions may be able to reverse charges or flag fraudulent activity if reported quickly.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Baldoni denied the allegations and maintained that Lively's claims were false.—
Janelle Ash , Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2026
-
Baldoni filed a countersuit in January 2025 for civil extortion, defamation and false light.—
Liza Esquibias,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
An ex-con cybersecurity expert, Daniel is among a group of whistleblowers from the shady agency WARDEX who nabbed evidence of a massive, nearly 80-year cover-up that, if revealed, would be a turning point for civilization.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
-
Fleas thrive in damp, shady areas, so think about removing piles of leaves or debris from your yard or garden.—
Emily Hayes,
Martha Stewart,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
Twelve out of 13 isn’t bad, and to harp on what hadn’t worked during the Hurricanes’ relatively brief march to the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights would be disingenuous, dishonest and dumb.—
Sean Gentille,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
-
The use of first-person pronouns is dishonest, but there’s a much deeper issue that goes beyond how a statement is phrased.—
Ted Chiang,
The Atlantic,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Trump walks out on Kristen Welker after calling NBC 'crooked' in fiery clash.—
,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
-
From there, Cicket’s life is a crooked line.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deceptive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deceptive. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
